With the advent of superconductor materials which have superconducting transition temperatures (Tc) above about 20 Kelvins, there has arisen the possibility of highly efficient transmission of electrical power, i.e., transmission of electrical power with substantially no transmission losses. This potential, however, is very much dependent on the ability to provide a structure which will support and protect relatively long superconductor wires and transmission cables which are typically made of a bundle of individually manufactured high-Tc superconductor filaments.
Unfortunately, presently known high-Tc superconductor materials are ceramics which are relatively brittle and fragile. Furthermore, they are particularly susceptible to breakage when subjected to tensile stresses, as compared to compressive stresses. Consequently, the structural limitations of ceramic superconductor materials are most apparent when any bending (and, hence, potential tensioning) of the superconductor may be necessary, as is commonly required in a wide variety of potential applications.
To avoid imposing undue tensile stress on the ceramic filaments of a superconductor cable when the cable is bent, it is desirable to support the cable in a structure which has a larger cross-sectional area than the cable. More specifically, it is well-known that when a structure is bent, portions of the structure will be in tension and other portions of the structure will be in compression. Accordingly, when a structure which has a larger cross-sectional area than the ceramic superconductor cable is used to support the cable, the superconductor cable can effectively be positioned in that portion of the bendable support structure which will be subjected only to compressive stresses. As stated above, modern ceramic superconductors can withstand compression more readily than they can withstand tension. Accordingly, it is necessary to form the cable into a relatively flat layer of coparallel superconductor filaments, so that the cable will fit into the desired portion of the supporting structure.
Moreover, it will be appreciated that the superconductor material cannot simply be placed onto the substrate, but must be bonded to the substrate. Unfortunately, not just any bonding technique can be used, because the superconductor material can easily be mechanically or chemically damaged during the bonding process.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing a superconductor wire from ceramic superconductor filaments in which the filaments are aligned into a coparallel, juxtaposed relationship with other filaments in the wire. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing a superconductor wire from ceramic superconductor filaments without causing undue chemical or mechanical damage to the ceramic superconductor when the superconductor is attached to a support substrate. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing a superconductor wire from ceramic superconductor filaments which produces a wire that can be effectively bent and yet still maintain the superconducting element in a state of compression in order to minimize the possibility of cracking or breaking the superconducting element. A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing a superconductor wire from ceramic superconductor filaments which can automatically and continuously process the filaments into the wire. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing a superconductor wire which is relatively easy to use and comparatively cost effective.